


Give My Regards To Lady Lunafreya

by wth_am_i_writing



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst, Episode Ignis Spoilers, F/M, Grief/Mourning, Hurt No Comfort, Ignis does not, Lunafreya Nox Fleuret Lives, M/M, Mild Language, Not Beta Read, Post-Altissia (Final Fantasy XV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-27
Updated: 2019-05-27
Packaged: 2020-03-20 11:24:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18991696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wth_am_i_writing/pseuds/wth_am_i_writing
Summary: Luna had been Noctis's first and only worry; he hadn’t wanted to give credence to a vague dream, had ignored the small signs of its truth. The Ring burned in his pocket.





	Give My Regards To Lady Lunafreya

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Ignis sacrifices himself in Altissia to make sure Lunafreya lives. However, upon waking up Noctis is so concerned with Lunafreya's well being he doesn't realize Ignis is missing and doesn't ask after him until several hours/days later.
> 
> This is my first completed fic for Final Fantasy XV, but in another life on another site, I used to write for Final Fantasy VII. I've been a silent lurker on the fringe in the FF15 fandom for a couple years now, but maybe that'll change now? There are SO many talented writers here in the FF15 fandom that I'm honestly kind of intimidated to put my work up. This fic's prompt was actually born as an off-shoot of a much longer, unfinished Ignoct fic that I'm working on. I'd been debating how exactly to handle Altissia in that fic, and once this idea got in my head, it was hard to let go. I hadn't seen other fics with this plot (though, they probably do exist), and I'm honestly so much on the fringe of this fandom that I don't even know how to submit a prompt to the KinkMeme (that didn't exist back in my day!), so I wrote it myself. If anyone wants to put their own spin on the prompt, go for it! I pretty much live off of Ingoct Angst, and will welcome more of it.

_ “Noct,” Ignis’s voice drifted into the darkness. Noctis let himself sink deeper into the darkness of sleep, the softness of his mattress and the warm, heavy weight of his blankets too comfortable. “Noct, it’s time to wake up.”  Ignis’s tone was firmer this time, punctuated with cold air as his blankets were pulled away. A gentle squeeze on Noctis’s shoulder served as further warning. “If you don’t get up soon, the others will worry.”  _

_ Noctis groaned, shifting as he forced his eyes open. His eyelids were heavy, so heavy. The grip on his shoulder tightened, encouraging Noctis to try harder. A few heavy blinks later, Ignis fluttered into blurry focus. _

_ “Just five more minutes,” Noctis groaned, shrugging in an attempt to dislodge Ignis’s hand and snuggle deeper into his mattress. _

_ “Unfortunately, there isn’t time.” The fond tone in Ignis’s voice was at odds with the serious implications of words. The dissonance caused Noctis to force his eyes open if only to see Ignis’s expression. A mixture between fondness and sadness. Noctis pushed himself up, sensing the seriousness of the situation that Ignis was trying to convey. _

_ “What about breakfast?” Noctis asked. _

_ “I’m afraid you’ll have to eat on the way,” Ignis informed. “Come now, the others are waiting.” Ignis stood and offered his hand. Noctis took it, letting Ignis pull him from the bed. He was already dressed in fatigues, feet heavy as his boots met the ground. They were in his bedroom in the city apartment. _

_ “What’s the rush?” Noctis asked, leading the way out of his bedroom and into the main room of his apartment. _

_ “You’ve overslept a great deal longer than anyone expected, even for you.” _

_ “Been tired,” Noctis mumbled in way of excuse. _

_ “Justly so,” Ignis sympathized. _

_ “So where are we going?” Noctis asked as they approached the entryway of his apartment. _

_ “A better question for Gladio.” _

_ “Gladio?” Noctis turned to look at Ignis, expression scrunching in confusion. Ignis had come to a stop a few feet away from the entryway. _

_ “Unfortunately, I’ll be unable to join you,” Ignis said simply, offering no other explanation. “But I trust Gladio to protect you.” _

_ “Yeah, well, it’s kinda his job,” Noctis said, unamused at the idea of Ignis not joining him. Despite Noctis’s sour expression, Ignis smiled, laughing beneath his breath. _

_ “Indeed,” Ignis agreed. After a moment, he composed himself, straightening. The smile lingered, though, mingled with an overwhelmingly fond expression. “Do take care, Noct.  _ **_Try_ ** _ not to give the others any more heart attacks, will you?” Noctis smirked and folded his arms across his chest. _

_ “ _ **_Can’t_ ** _ make any promises.” After a beat, Noctis asked, “You really can’t go?” Ignis’s expression fell serious at the question. _

_ “If only I could, Noct.” The words were heavy, tugging at something deep within Noctis. _

_ “Can’t you just ditch whatever it is?” Noctis asked. _

_ “I’m afraid it’s the kind of commitment I can’t back out of,” Ignis asserted. Noctis’s stomach sank. _

_ “So there’s no convincing you?” Noctis asked. Ignis shook his head. “Then I guess I shouldn’t keep the others waiting.”  _

_ “Ah, there  _ **_is_ ** _ one more thing.” Ignis stepped forward, catching Noctis’s hand and leaning down until their lips met. Shocked, Noctis froze, barely registering Ignis pressing something into his palm and closing his hand around it. The shock only lasted a moment, and Noctis jerked back, simultaneously pushing Ignis away and tripping over the step to the entryway. _

_ “The  _ **_hell_ ** _ , Specs?” Noctis hissed, putting as much distance between them as he could manage. A kiss was the last thing he expected from Ignis--his childhood friend, his advisor. Ignis smiled forlornly and bowed. _

_ “Apologies. It seems I overstepped my bounds,” Ignis apologized, a deep sadness in his eyes that seemed wholly unfamiliar when he straightened. Noctis swallowed, shifting nervously, grip tightening around the object Ignis had placed in his hand. Whatever it was, it felt like it was burning into his flesh. “You best be going before the others worry anymore than they already are.” _

_ “R-right,” Noctis agreed, nodding. He reached behind himself and grabbed the door knob, instinctively turning it. He whipped around and pulled the door open. _

_ “Goodbye, Noctis. Please give my regards to Lady Lunafreya.” _

_ Luna-- _

 

-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Noctis woke with a start, the first thought on his mind the imminent danger Luna was in. But he was met with a cracked, white ceiling instead of angry storm clouds. Beneath him, a soft bed instead of concrete. Warm blankets instead of wet clothes. His whole body ached, his head throbbed dully. He was clutching something in his hand, and it burned his palm through his glove. The battle was over; he’d survived. But the others--Noctis sat up, ignoring his screaming muscles, and kicked the covers away.

“I was starting to think you’d never wake up,” Gladio’s voice cut through Noctis’s panicked thoughts. Noctis snapped his attention to his shield. Gladio stood next to a chair across from his bed, arms crossed and looking tired but none the worse for wear.

“Where’s Luna?” The question bubbled out of Noctis without thought. Gladio dropped his arms, expression turning serious.

“Down the hall. Listen, Noct--”

“She’s okay?”

“Yeah, it was touch and go for a bit but--”

“I need to see her,” Noctis cut-off, climbing off the bed. Gladio rushed to his side, steadying him when he wobbled.

“Walking isn’t a good idea right now,” Gladio said sternly.

“I saw Ardyn  _ stab _ her. I need to see her,” Noctis asserted. Gladio sighed, caving easier than Noctis expected he would.

“Fine. But you gotta promise me you’ll park your ass in a chair instead of pacing around. She hasn’t woken up since we found you guys.”

“Don’t think I could pace if I wanted,” Noctis gritted out. Gladio sighed again, but helped Noctis out of his room. He remained quiet as they walked two doors down the hall to Luna’s room, expression grim. He let Noctis go at the door, letting Noctis stumble into the room as he took in Luna’s state. She was deathly pale, her chest rising and falling slowly the only hint that she was still alive. All of the energy flowed out of Noctis’s body as the relief that Luna was still breathing washed over him. He lowered himself into a chair near her bed, unsure that his legs could hold him up any longer.

“I’ll go tell the others you’re awake,” Gladio announced from the doorway, unmoved, frown set on his features. Noctis nodded his acknowledgement and turned his attention back to Luna. The door clicked softly as it closed. Her brow was knit ever so slightly. Perhaps she was dreaming, prophesying. Noctis sank back into his chair. The object in his his hand seemed to burn hotter now that he was closer to Luna. He had his suspicion as to what it was, but no desire to confirm it. He gripped it tighter and tilted his head back to look at the ceiling.

The battle was over. Luna and the others were safe. And when Noctis closed his eyes and cleared his mind, he could feel the power of Leviathan like choppy waves in the pit of his stomach. The covenant had been forged. Noctis let his hand fall open and glanced down at his palm. The Ring of the Lucii. He snapped his hand closed and shoved the cursed thing into his pocket. Luna had damn near lost her life between forging the covenants and getting him the ring, but she was safe now. 

Noctis scooted the chair close enough to her bedside to take her hand. 

 

-.-.-.-.-.-

 

A knock at the door pulled Noctis from the light doze he was falling into. A few medics had flittered in and out of the room over the last two hours, so the interruption wasn’t unexpected. However, the sight of Prompto popping his head around the door sent a wave of relief through Noctis.

“Hey buddy,” Prompto greeted. His eyes were red rimmed and he looked exhausted, but he was forcing a smile all the same. “How ya feeling?”

“Been better,” Noctis said as he straightened, squeezing Luna’s hand. “You?”

“Same,” Prompto laughed nervously. “Sorry I didn’t come sooner. Been running all over to--to help with--with what I can. Been too jittery to just sit still.”

“Don’t sweat it,” Noctis assuaged.

“Uhm, you’ve been here a while--I-I can take watch and you can get some rest and food, if you want? And the others can fill you in on--on the--situation.” Noctis shook his head.

“After everything Luna’s done for me--I want to be here for her. But I wouldn’t mind if Ignis brought me something,” Noctis refused. Prompto bit his lip and diverted his gaze towards the door.

“Yeah, sure, I’ll see what we can do,” Prompto said, voice small and subdued, before darting out of the room. Noctis straightened, wincing as the door slammed shut behind Prompto. That was unusual. Prompto was skittish, but rarely that skittish. Nothing he’d said seemed out of the ordinary. Despite the various visitors he and Luna had received, he hadn’t seen Ignis yet. Perhaps that was what had set Prompto off--fear of evoking Ignis’s rage at being pulled away from whatever critical thing he was doing to tend to Noctis’s stomach. It was an ill founded fear. Ignis would come, gladly. Dream Ignis’s words rattled in his head, but he shook it off. That was a dream. Ignis had come with them from the crown city. He’d visit eventually.

Noctis squeezed Luna’s hand tighter.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-

 

“Noctis?” Luna’s voice cut through the sleep that Noctis had fallen into at some point. His eyes snapped open and he pushed himself upright, adrenaline pumping at the sound of her voice.

“You’re awake,” he said dumbly. Luna gave him a smile, her eyes twinkling despite how utterly exhausted she still looked.

“I am,” she said, punctuating her words by squeezing Noctis’s hand back. A blanket Noctis hadn’t even noticed being draped over him slipped off his shoulders.

“I thought I’d lose you too.” Noctis felt tears well in his eyes at the idea of her being  _ gone. _ Luna’s other hand came to rest atop his. “Ardyn stabbed you, and I couldn’t make my body  _ move _ ,” Noctis blurted, voice filling with the worry held over from that memory.

“Noctis,  _ it’s alright _ ,” Luna cut in before Noctis could spiral back into the horrors of the Rite. “I am here with you now, that is all that matters.” Noctis took a shaky breath to compose himself and squeezed her hand. 

“He almost killed you,” Noctis breathed.

“I have your friends and the mercy of the gods to thank that he did not succeed,” Luna redirected. “Had they arrived much later, I fear that our fates would have been much different.”

“Yeah,” Noctis swallowed. “I’m lucky to have them by my side.”

“Is Ravus still here?” Luna asked after a beat, tone hopeful.

“Ravus?” Noctis asked, perking up.

“He was at the altar.”

“If he’s still here, he hasn’t been by,” Noctis said, shaking his head. Luna closed her eyes, sinking into the bed. “But maybe he’s been avoiding me.”

“I fear it’s likely he returned to Gralea,” she murmured.

“I should let the others know you’re awake. Maybe they’ll know about Ravus,” Noctis said, reluctantly releasing Luna’s hand. He didn’t want to leave her side, even if he was only going no farther than just down the hall.  As he stood he noticed a sandwich sitting on the nightstand closest to Noctis. Food and a blanket--So Ignis  _ had _ been by.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Noctis waited for everyone to come to Luna’s room for a brief strategy meeting. The doctor had determined that Luna wouldn’t be strong enough to move for at least another day, so whatever plans they made had to be short term. He’d split the sandwich with Luna while they waited, but neither of their appetites had been particularly strong.

Prompto arrived first, greeting both with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eye. He parked himself to the side of the room, a fidgeting mess, gaze carefully avoiding Luna and Noctis. Gladio came a few minutes later, expression tired and worn. Weskham followed, expectedly disheveled.

“Now that everyone’s here,” Gladio said, looking around the room.

“Ignis isn’t here yet,” Noctis cut in, pointedly meeting Gladio’s gaze. “We can’t start without him.” Silence befell the room, thick and suffocating, everyone exchanging quiet looks. Prompto turned away, biting his lip, looking to be on the verge of tears.

“Noctis,” Luna said gently, pulling Noctis’s attention away from Gladio. She took Noctis’s hands into her own. “Ignis didn’t make it.” Noctis jerked, eyes going wide. “Before I lost consciousness, I saw him put on the Ring of the Lucii.” No. No, no, no, no. This couldn’t be--Ignis  _ couldn’t _ be--Noctis snapped his attention up to Gladio and Prompto.

“Tell me she’s  _ wrong _ ,” Noctis growled. Prompto flinched, an aborted sob following after. Gladio tensed and puffed himself up larger. “Tell me he’s in another room down the hall.”

“When we found you at the altar, he was already gone,” Gladio said firmly. “His body is in the makeshift morgue with the other identifiable remains.” Noctis jerked away from Luna’s hold and stood, swiftly crossing the room to Gladio. He grabbed the collar of Gladio’s shirt and got in his face.

“The  _ hell _ didn’t you tell me me earlier?” he growled.

“I  _ tried _ ,” Gladio growled back. “But you were single mindedly interested in Lady Lunafreya’s well being.”

“We didn’t want to overwhelm you,” Weskham said. Noctis’s grip weakened and he stumbled back, overwhelming grief replacing the fight. Luna had been his first and only worry; he hadn’t wanted to give credence to a vague dream, had ignored the small signs of its truth. The Ring burned in his pocket.

“Take me to him,” he demanded. “I need to see him.”

 

-.-.-.-.-.-

 

The ballroom of the Presidential Manor had been turned into a makeshift morgue, chilled with blizzard spells to keep the near hundred bodies as well preserved as possible. Weskham and Prompto had worked on the mechanism together, but the brief explanation had been incoherent buzzing to Noctis’s ears. He was moving on autopilot as Gladio lead him through the rows of sheets. Prompto hadn’t wanted to come. Noctis could hardly blame him; the amount of death in the room was overwhelming, suffocating.

They came to a stop at an indistinct sheet about a third of the way into the room. A piece of tape with  _ Ignis Scientia  _ had been placed on the floor below the foot of the body. Some of the surrounding bodies had tape markers as well, but most did not. 

Noctis crouched down beside the sheet and pulled it back with shaking hands, hoping desperately that it wasn’t actually Ignis. The sandy blond hair and line of his brow confirmed it was, but Noctis had to be damn  _ sure _ . He dropped the sheet when he’d fully revealed Ignis’s face. Ashen burns masked his eyes, the left one completely consumed. Vein-like black lines spidered up his throat and jaw line, more burnt skin radiating off each line.

“Ignis,” Noctis stuttered, reaching out to touch his cheek. Cold, but pliant. Tears welled in Noctis’s eyes, but  _ dammit _ he couldn’t let himself cry yet. Not until he’d seen the burn of the Ring. He jerked the sheet down to Ignis’s thighs and grabbed Ignis’s right hand to inspect. Dirty, but no burns. A tag with his name had been tied to his wrist. Noctis placed it down and grabbed Ignis’s left hand. There was a clear ring shaped burn on the middle finger, black veins and ashy burns originating from it and spidering up his arm.

“ _ Dammit _ ,” Noctis cursed, finally letting the tears spill. “ _ Fucking hell _ , Ignis.” He brought the burned hand to his forehead. “How could you do something so  _ stupid _ ? You said you’d always have my back, but how can you when you’re  _ dead _ ?” He let a sob consume him, the grief of everything that happened since they’d left the Crown City finally too much to keep pushing aside. His father, Clarus, the Council, countless staff, the Crownsguard, the Glaives, Jared, and now  _ Ignis _ . Almost everyone important to him from childhood was  _ gone _ . He’d taken their presence for granted, Ignis’s worst of all, and now they were  _ gone _ . To protect  _ him.  _ And what had he done for them? He dropped Ignis’s arm and pulled a phoenix down from the armiger.

“Noct--” Gladio warned, grabbing his arm. Noctis jerked out of his grip and slammed the feather on Ignis’s chest, breaking it. The healing magic hissed out in a puff of red-orange light, but Ignis didn’t move. Another sob wracked through Noctis’s body. Gladio took his arm and pulled him back against his chest in a half hug, half restraint. “It’s been too long for that to work. And believe me, Noct,  _ we tried _ .” Gladio’s words were wet. 

Noctis let the fight leave him, breath coming to him in short, shakey, uneven intervals as he stared down at Ignis’s burt body. Even after _that_ , Ignis had only been concerned for Noctis. That hadn’t been just dream. The gods had graced them with a final goodbye and Noctis had pushed Ignis away, rejected him. He’d apologized. He’d asked Noctis to _give_ _Luna his regards_ like he was secondary to her and not just as important to him. Because _what?_ Because Noctis had been too shocked to think about how he felt, let alone how _Ignis_ felt. Because who needed to take the next step when they were always together, when Luna was just on the horizon?  But Ignis wasn’t by his side anymore. 

Gladio forcefully turned Noctis away after a few moments and held him in silence as his breathing evened out. This wasn’t fair. How many more people had to die for him? How did Ignis expect him to move forward without his advisor? Without his oldest friend? This wasn’t  _ fair _ . But Ignis probably knew that. Probably knew they couldn’t let the empire stop them here. He’d trusted Gladio to keep them moving, to keep Noctis safe.

“Can we--can we arrange for a boat to Cape Caem?” Noctis asked when he felt he could trust his voice; it still cracked pathetically, brokenly.

“Noct--” Gladio started, but Noctis cut him off before he could start a lecture Noctis very much didn’t need right now.

“I  _ know _ I can’t go back. Not after what he did for me. But I want him buried on Lucian soil. Even if--even if I can’t go back with him. He deserves that much. Deserves more than that.” Gladio hugged him tighter.

“Yeah, I’ll make it happen.”


End file.
